Kingdom Hearts: Road to Twilight
by Sword-of-Dusk
Summary: Noah is a normal teen, living a normal life, with a normal girlfriend, and two (mostly) normal best friends. He has no idea of his past, but it doesn't bother him much. Everything changes when his unknown past comes back to haunt him, he acquires a weapon called a Keyblade, and mysterious cloaked assailants start attacking him. Can Noah survive the challenges that come his way?
1. Prologue: Meeting of Shadows

**A/N:** Let's keep this short, shall we? This is a full rewrite of my older story, _Kingdom Hearts: Path of Twilight_. The original was over ten years old, and while my younger self may have thought it was good, when I looked back on it, I realized how poor it was. I've grown a lot as a writer since then, and as _Path of Twilight_ was the very first story I published on this site, I felt it was right to give it the makeover it so desperately needed. So, here we are. If you are familiar with the original, hopefully you find this better. If you aren't, hopefully you enjoy it all the same. Ah, and before I forget:

 **Disclaimer:** This story is nothing more than a non-profit story created by a fan of Kingdom Hearts. I own nothing of KH whatsoever, as that's the realm of Square-Enix and Disney. Please don't sue, okay?

Alright, with that out of the way, we can get the ball rolling. Happy reading, guys! 

**_Prologue: Meeting of Shadows_**

* * *

Lightning streaked across the sky, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of thunder, as rain fell on a field that seemed to stretch on for miles. The only structure around was a large, black castle that looked as if it didn't belong. It loomed over the expansive field like a predator waiting to swallow unsuspecting prey that wandered too close. As lightning flashed in the dark sky again and illuminated the field below, a lone figure wearing a dark cloak slipped through the massive oaken doors that granted entry into the structure, moving swiftly in a mad attempt to get out of the rain. The hall beyond was cold and uninviting due to the lack of any type of décor or color other than that of the gray stone that were the walls, though the cloaked visitor was quite familiar with the drab setup.

The figure descended a spiraling staircase that was in the entrance hall and headed into the castle's depths. At the bottom of the staircase was a door with what looked like the symbol for infinity, save for the jagged lines that extended upward from either end, resembling something akin to horns.

The cloaked presence stood in front of the door and placed a hand on the insignia. It began to glow with a dark aura, followed by the unmistakable sound of a lock being released. The door slowly creaked open, revealing an almost pitch dark room within. A single ray of light was all that provided sight into the black void, shining down on a table. The figure strode into the room, heading to the table where six others sat quietly, seemingly awaiting the new arrival. They each wore a dark cloak like the mysterious figure, which obscured their faces and gave the entire gathering an ominous feel.

"I see you've decided to show up," said one of the already waiting six. The arriving party took a seat in the only empty chair at the table and removed the hood of their cloak, revealing a green-haired girl who looked no older than sixteen.

"Yes, I'm here. I suppose you assumed I wasn't coming, right? Well, here I am. Why don't you get on with whatever it is you needed to say," the girl said harshly, looking bored.

"I concur," said one of the others, his voice deep and almost feral. "Some of us have important matters to attend to, and time is munny, as they say." The man's words were met by an airy laugh.

"Oh, how rich," said a second girl, struggling to contain her laughter. "You think that your beastly hobbies are of actual importance? Such ridiculousness."

"You'd do well to hold your tongue, wench," growled the feral man dangerously. "Otherwise I'll gladly rip it out of your mouth!"

"We've spoken about the squabbling before," said another man, his voice cold and commanding. "This is not the time for blustering and threats among allies. We have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately and we will need to work together."

The feral man growled again. "It isn't my fault that whelps like her don't know their place."

"You can't really blame her for that, though," the green haired girl said. "Most people wouldn't consider the actions of a mutt worth much consideration."

"You dare speak to me like that? Do you wish to be ripped apart by my claws?"

"Relax, it was a simple joke." The green haired girl twirled a lock of her hair absentmindedly, still looking bored. She addressed the man with the cold voice, "I'm fairly certain our problems still center on our witchy friend and Organization XIII, correct?"

"You're half right. The witch is still a thorn in our side, but we seem to have had a stroke of luck regarding the Organization. They have all fallen, and will no longer be an issue for us," the cold- voiced man replied.

Another of the shadowy figures spoke up at this, his tone suggesting that he was impressed. "They have been defeated? Dare I ask who did the deed?"

"Of course, it was the keybearer, Sora. As he had already slain several of the members some time back, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, especially to you, Glen."

"No, it doesn't. It does, however, cause me some degree of worry." The one called Glen stroked his chin thoughtfully, his mind calculating. "By my estimate, the Organization was much stronger than we are, and if they were defeated, we stand no chance against Sora."

"I don't believe that for a second," yet another new voice said, this one sounding offended. "The only reason we didn't deal with the Organization ourselves is because of that damn witch. If she hadn't been hounding us, we'd have crushed those fools."

"You underestimate the power they wielded," Glen said coolly. "Xemnas alone would've been a massive challenge to overcome, let alone the might of the entire group."

"You're forgetting that Sora didn't exactly fight them alone, though," the green haired girl spoke up. "He fought alongside his friends. Strength in numbers and all that, right?"

There was an outbreak of murmuring at the girl's words, almost everyone present throwing in their thoughts on the matter. Only two of the people in the room chose to remain quiet; the man with the commanding tone, and the one who sat at the head of the table, who had yet to utter a single word. They had the unmistakable air of a leader, with the way they surveyed the five that were talking. After a few minutes had passed, the figure raised their hand to silence the others. The conversation died immediately, everyone's attention snapping to the leader.

"We must be careful about how we proceed," they said, the voice unidentifiable as either male or female. "Glen is right in assuming that Sora is strong, but a careful approach will see him fall to us, and his Keyblade acquired. The six of you will work together in the acquisition, and you will not fail. I need not remind you that possession of the Keyblade is necessary for my plans. Do I make myself clear?"

"Clear as crystal," the green haired girl said, getting up. "If there's nothing more that needs to be said, I think I'll be going now. We really should keep these meetings as short as this in the future. It's quite nice."

She left the room without another word, neglecting to wait until being formally dismissed. The leader simply laughed quietly, head shaking. The door then opened once again and the girl poked her head through.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? We've a Keyblade wielder to snag. No time like the present," she said before closing the door once more.

"Someone's eager," the leader said, voice filled with amusement.


	2. Chapter 1: A Normal Existence

**_Chapter One: A Normal Existence_**

* * *

The sound of clashing metal resonated all around a large, empty, gray room as two people engaged each other in a fierce battle. One of the fighters, a young, blue-haired boy wielding a shadowy blade, ran at the other, ready to deliver a fatal blow. His opponent was a mysterious warrior in white, face obscured by a hood, who stood their ground with no fear and a sword held loosely to the side. Though a face couldn't be seen, there was a sense of amusement radiating off of the warrior. Before the boy could reach the swordfighter in white, there was bright flash of light. The boy thrust his sword blindly, hoping to hit something, but the light was painful. It was burning the boy, disintegrating his body. The light would destroy him...

"You cannot fail here," a voice called out. "The time fast approaches for you to awaken to the truth."

"What truth?" the boy asked, doing his best to resist the pain.

"The darkness stirs, but you must face it without fear. Only you can overcome its evil embrace."

"What are you talking about?"

"Heed my words, young one. The worlds are counting on you…"

The boy tried to say something else, but the light had only grown brighter. It ate away at him, leaving less and less of him behind as the seconds passed. Eventually, he disappeared entirely, though he could still hear a voice. It was different to the first one, and seemed to be commanding him to do something.

"Wake up, you lazybones! Get moving!"

The boy could not understand what the voice asked. He was dead now, burned away by the light. How could he wake up? This question bugged him, and then the world of light was gone. Gravity soon made its presence known as the boy felt himself falling all of a sudden.

"Holy crap!" the boy yelled as he hit the ground. He didn't fall all that far, but the impact was unexpected, as was the world of blackness that greeted him. He was momentarily confused before realizing that his eyes were closed. Groaning in annoyance, he forced them open. A festive room slowly materialized, though the bright colors nearly made him shut his eyes again.

"Noah, are you up or what?" a voice from somewhere asked impatiently. The boy groaned again, coming to the understanding that he was Noah and was inside his room, having fallen off his bed. After a few more seconds ticked by, the gears in his head began spinning properly and he pulled himself up from off the floor. Hearing another yell, Noah marched over to his window and threw it open, looking down to see who kept calling out to him. A blonde boy waited below, a grin forming on his face as he saw Noah.

"Jeez, that took way too long," he said. "You sleep like a rock, Noah."

"Sorry if I needed my beauty rest," Noah said sleepily, wiping his eyes. "Even so, don't you think it's kinda rude to go yelling at someone's window this early in the morning?"

"It's almost noon! You've overslept…again."

Noah brought his palm to his face and sighed. "It's summer, Klein. Is it a crime for me to want to sleep in?"

"It is when today is the day of the Starry Skies Tournament!" All remaining traces of sleepiness left Noah's eyes as he slapped himself again.

"I'll be down in a minute, Klein. Give me a few minutes." he shouted. Klein nodded his acknowledgement, and then took a seat on a nearby bench. Noah closed the window and sped over to his closet, looking for something clean to wear. He quickly settled on blue cargo shorts, a simple white tee, and a pair of red sneakers. Next, he spent a few minutes in the bathroom tidying himself up, then headed downstairs. He made sure not to forget his wooden practice sword, as it wouldn't do to use anything else in the tournament. Outside, Klein was lying down on the bench, his eyes closed. Noah was surprised to hear some light snoring coming from his friend.

"Klein, get up. I didn't take that long," Noah said. Klein yawned and opened up one eye and laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he said, getting up.

"Did you have a crazy dream too?"

"No, I just didn't get to sleep early enough 'cause I was out training. What were you dreaming about?"

"The same dream I've had for weeks," Noah replied, frowning. "I'm fighting someone in white and I'm basically killed by bright light before the fight ends. It's starting to creep me out."

"Don't sweat it, Noah," Klein said reassuringly as they set off. "I'm sure the dream doesn't mean anything."

Noah kept quiet about the mysterious voice he heard in his dream. Something about what it kept telling him unnerved him, but he couldn't figure out why. All he knew was that he wanted the dreams to stop. Unfortunately, they had only been increasing in frequency over the past few weeks. It felt like it was leading up to something big. Noah had no idea just what that something could be, but he instinctively knew it would not be good.

The two walked down the street in silence, the only sound coming from their footsteps and the occasional chirping of some birds. Trying to keep his mind off his recurring dream, Noah looked around and admired his island home. The Harmony Islands were regarded as something of a paradise by its residents, and it was easy to see why. There was lush vegetation all over the place, a variety of streams that carried fresh water throughout the islands, and absolutely wonderful views of the surrounding ocean at every corner. It was difficult to call the place anything else other than a paradise. It was also of impressive size, being made up of four large islands, as well as a few smaller ones here and there.

The companionable silence was finally shattered when the two arrived at the docks where a ferry was awaiting, a few passengers already boarding the boat. Noah and Klein hastened their approach, not wanting to get left behind.

"Where you two headin'?" the ferry worker checking tickets asked as they ran up.

"West Harmony Isle," Klein said. He flashed his ferry pass before the worker could ask to see his ticket, causing the man to turn to Noah. At that moment, Noah realized he'd forgotten it at home in his rush to get going.

"Whoops, left my pass at home. Hang on, let me go buy a ticket," he said, turning around to head to the ticket booth. He made it a few steps before digging in his pockets and realizing that he'd left something else at home to. "Crap, I left my wallet at home too. How long before the ferry takes off?"

"Ten minutes, kid. If you miss it, next one's in thirty," the ferry worker replied.

"Dude, I'll loan you the cash. Let's get going," Klein said, but Noah shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'd rather just go get my stuff. If I don't make it back in time, just go without me. I'll catch the next one."

Klein shrugged and boarded the ferry, while Noah took off for home in a run. If he moved quickly enough, he might make it back in time. He felt immensely thankful that he didn't live too far away; otherwise he'd only succeed in wearing himself out for nothing.

Four minutes had elapsed by the time Noah reached his house. He rushed to unlock his door and run inside, grabbing his ferry pass and wallet from where they awaited in one of his other pairs of pants, and zip back out again. A look at his watch told him six minutes and now gone by; he was gonna cut this one close. Willing his legs to hold out, Noah started for the docks once more, but the sudden feeling of being watched stopped him. He looked around, wondering who might be spying on him.

"Anyone out there?" he yelled. There was no response. He waited a few more seconds before taking off for a third time, still feeling eyes on him from behind. He ignored it in favor of running as fast as he could, managing to arrive just as the ferry worker was about to close the gate to the docking ramp.

"Whoa, hold up! I'm back!" Noah called out, waving his pass in the air. The worker gave him a surprised glance, and then motioned for him to go aboard.

"Pretty fast, kid. Not bad, not bad at all," he said as Noah ran past him.

On board the ferry, Noah found Klein leaning on the guard rail lazily, looking out at the sea. The boy seemed to be lost in thought, an unhappy look on his face, making Noah curious as to what was going through his head. He walked over and placed a hand on Klein's shoulder. "You alright?"

"Who, me? Yeah, I'm good. Why do you ask?" Klein replied.

"The look on your face tells me that something's bugging you. What is it?"

"Nothing of importance. Don't sweat it."

"Come on, tell me. Maybe I can help."

"Layla's on board, by the way," Klein said, changing subjects suddenly. "Might wanna go pay her a visit."

"Nice try, but you can't distract me that easily," Noah said with a grin. "Seriously, what's eating you?"

"It really doesn't matter, okay? I'd rather not talk about it, in any case."

Noah felt like he was missing something big, but he chose not to press the issue anymore. This wasn't the first time he'd found Klein brooding, and probably wouldn't be the last. Nevertheless, he wanted to know what it was that caused these mood swings in his friend. He hated being unable to help, especially when whatever it was affected Klein so visibly.

"I'm gonna go find Layla," he said after a few minutes of silence. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Take your time, Noah," Klein responded, his voice sounding disinterested. Noah gave him a look before walking off to find his other friend. A quick look around the deck proved fruitless, so he went into the inner lounge. There, he found her sitting with another friend of hers.

"Hey, Layla," he called out. She spun around and saw him, forgetting about whatever conversation she was engaged in so she could waltz over and hug him.

"Noah, fancy seeing you here. Where ya off too?" she asked.

"West Harmony. Today's the day of the Starry Skies Tournament," he replied. "Gotta sign up before the deadline."

"Oh damn, that's today? I totally forgot about that! I need to go and sign up too!" She turned to her friend with an apologetic look. "Deirdre, I'm sorry. I forgot all about the tournament. I'm gonna need to take a rain check on our spa day."

"No problem," Deirdre said. "It'll probably be more interesting to see you fight anyway."

"You're the absolute best, D. Thank you so much. Now, if you could do me one more favor, I'd be forever grateful."

Deirdre looked confused for just a moment, and then smiled in understanding as she looked around the empty lounge.

"I think I'm gonna go back up top and enjoy the sunlight. I'll catch up with you in a little while, L," she said, getting up and walking toward the door. Noah watched her go, somewhat perplexed as to why she suddenly took off. His confusion was dispelled the moment he looked at Layla and saw her almost hungry expression. He suddenly felt like a trapped animal.

"Why don't we go back upstairs, huh? We should enjoy the sunlight too," he said, making for the door. Layla snagged him by the arm to stop him, turning him around to look at her.

"We'll have plenty of chances to enjoy the sun today. It's not often we get time to ourselves. Why don't we take advantage of it?"

"I don't know . . . someone could walk in on us," Noah said lamely.

"That's what makes it fun," Layla countered, tugging on Noah's sleeve. "Nothing wrong with a little risk."

"I'd rather we had some privacy. I'm not really the type for public displays of affection."

"You are so lying right now. Did you forget what happened during our picnic on the beach a few weeks ago?"

Noah's face went red as he recalled that incident, having been thoroughly embarrassed at being found making out with Layla in public. It was doubly embarrassing because it was Klein that found them. He swore to never be caught like that again.

"Okay, that was a fluke," he said. "I wasn't thinking and I let my hormones get the better of me. We're not doing that again."

"You sure I can't convince you to have a little fun with me while we're alone here? It's a pretty cushy little lounge, ya know," Layla said, wrapping a lock of red hair around her finger as she spoke.

"While I'll admit it's tempting, let's save the romance for later, okay?"

"Oh, fine. I'll wait until I can get you alone. A kiss would certainly help tide me over, though."

"That, I can do."

Noah gripped Layla's face softly and brought his lips to hers. He meant it to be a chaste kiss, but the moment their mouths came together; he lost himself in her presence. Before he knew it, they'd fallen onto the couch and were completely ignorant of anything going on around them. It wasn't until they finally broke apart for air that Noah's brain finally began working normally again.

"Wow, you sure do know how to catch a girl off guard," Layla said.

"You're a bad influence on me," Noah told her, smirking. "When I kiss you, I lose control. At this rate, I won't be able to go anywhere with you."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be a good girl . . . most of the time. For now, though, that's enough for me. I'm sure we'll have more than enough fun later. We should get on back to the deck."

"After you, my lady."

The two headed back up top, attempting to look nonchalant as they emerged onto the deck. Once they were sure no one paid any attention to them, Layla walked off to find Deidre, while Noah went looking for Klein. He found him over by the bar, nursing a fruity looking drink. Beside him stood another of Noah's friends, Zidane, likely talking a mile a minute. Noah wandered over to see what was up. He was the most talkative off Noah's friends, and the most conspicuous as well, due to the very prominent tail he possessed. No one, not even him, knew why or how he came to have one.

"Hey, Zidane. When did you get here?" Noah asked as he drew close. "Riding for free again?"

"Keep it down, man!" Zidane said, looking around furtively. "You wanna let everyone know my business?"

"Why can't you ever just pay for a ticket, Z?" Klein asked. "It's not like they cost that much. Hell, buying a pass is an option too."

"Why don't you ever wonder why they charge us for transport across the islands?" Zidane countered. "I mean, it's all one place, right? Why do I have to pay to go see a friend on South Harmony Island just because I live on North Harmony Island? That's such bull. And while I'm at it, who the hell named these islands? Where's the creativity, man? I could come up with better names in my sleep!"

"Slow down, monkey man," Klein said. "You're really blowing things out of proportion. And you don't even live on the northern island."

"Yeah," Noah agreed. "You think it's cheap to run these ferries to and fro? Maintenance is a thing, Z."

"Always with the monkey jokes, huh Klein?" Zidane said. "I know you're jealous of my tail. Everybody is, if you want to know. As for the maintenance thing, can't we just have a dude in a rowboat doing this?"

"You're not serious, are you? That would take way too damn long, and the guy rowing the boat would still need to be paid. You'd better start carrying munny on you. You won't be able to keep stowing away on the ferry successfully."

"Says who?"

"Says probability. You'll get caught sooner or later, and I will be there, laughing my ass off, when you do."

Noah watched his two friends start a debate on probability with a smile on his face. Between them and Layla, his days were never dull. He felt that life couldn't get any better, and he was willing to bet on that.


	3. Chapter 2: Three Doors

**_Chapter Two: Three Doors_**

* * *

After the ferry made its stopover at South Harmony Island, following the clockwise route it always took, it finally arrived at West Harmony Island, allowing Noah and friends to disembark hurriedly. The trip had been mostly uneventful, though Zidane caused a slight ruckus when he started flirting with a girl whose boyfriend hadn't exactly been out of hearing range. There had been a quick fistfight, which Zidane won handily, and the trio retreated into the lounge to wait out the rest of the ride without incident. As they made their way through the crowd that had been gathered at the ferry terminal, Klein turned to Zidane with a smirk on his face.

"You certainly have a knack for causing trouble, don't you?"

"What can I say? I have an attractive personality, or something."

"I don't think that description quite works," Noah said.

"Yeah, you're more of an aggravating presence," Layla added, coming up from behind the group and stepping into formation alongside them.

"I resent that insinuation," Zidane said, frowning. "I'm a charming guy once you get to know me."

"We all know you, and no one agrees with you, Z," Klein told him, laughing.

"You, my friend, are just jealous of my skills with the girls. Did you see how I had that chick hanging on my every word? I think she forgot she even had a boyfriend for a few minutes there."

"Hate to break it to you, but you aren't that awesome," Layla countered. "Trust me, I know these things."

"And who might you believe is more awesome than me?"

"That'd be him," Layla said, jerking a finger in Noah's direction.

"I believe that's your bias speaking," Klein said, looking at Noah pointedly. "As his girlfriend, you're obliged to say something like that."

"Oh no, I'm not being biased at all. Noah is quite amazing, and in more ways than one."

"Wait, what exactly are you implying?" Zidane asked. Beside him, Klein's face went blank.

"Okay, that's enough," Noah stammered. "I believe we're supposed to be registering for the tournament, aren't we? Let's go and do that." He punctuated his words by grabbing hold of Layla's hand and pulling her along. Zidane looked at Klein in confusion, then shot forward himself.

"Hold up! What are you two hiding?"

* * *

The four friends sat quietly in a local pizza parlor, an extra-large pepperoni pizza sitting between them. They had all successfully signed up for the Starry Skies Tournament, and had decided to get something to eat while they thought about what to do to pass the time. Noah and Layla sat next to each other, doing nothing more than looking into each other's eyes, pizza all but forgotten. Klein was slowly working his way through a slice, his gaze directed at few kids playing arcade games at the back of the restaurant. Zidane was busy eyeing two girls who had walked inside a few minutes prior, looking like he was gearing up to go talk to them. He finished up the slice he had been eating and prepared to vacate his seat for the time being, then turned his sight upon Klein.

"Get up, man. We've got work to do," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and standing up.

"Eh? What work?" Klein asked in confusion.

Zidane pointed to the two girls in response. "I spy two delectable targets right there, just ripe for the picking. If we work together, they don't stand a chance." Klein turned his head around to see what Zidane was pointing to, and then sighed in exasperation.

"They're not fruit to be picked, Z. Besides, I'm not interested."

"It's better than just moping at this table. You could do with giving some attention to the fairer sex."

"I seriously don't care. Feel free to go and make a fool of yourself alone. I'll happily sit here and watch."

"You're lying, Klein, and I can see it all over your face. It ain't healthy for you to wallow in your misery like that."

Klein looked confused. "I'm not wallowing in my misery. What gave you that idea?"

"I'm not stupid. I do pay attention, you know," Zidane said knowingly. "Trust me, jealousy does not become you."

"Who're you jealous of?" Noah asked suddenly, having finally stopped exchanging loving glances with Layla and was listening intently.

"Nobody," Klein replied, with a twinge of irritation in his voice. "I'm not jealous of anyone."

"Then come over here with me, would you?" Zidane pleaded. "Those girls are practically calling out to us, and I can't go out with both of them."

"Okay, fine! If you promise to stop pestering me, I'll come along." Klein sighed tiredly. "Zidane, you're incredibly annoying sometimes, you know that?"

"You say that now, but you'll be thanking me later. Now, let's go wow these girls with our charm, shall we?"

Klein reluctantly got up and followed Zidane over to the two girls, who were sitting at a table and chattering away animatedly. Noah watched his two friends walk off, wondering if Klein was lying or not. There were certainly times when he seemed bothered, especially as of late. Noah hoped his friend would talk about it if it was really bad.

"Noah, let's get out of here for a while," Layla said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Those two will likely be busy for a while, at least if Zidane has his way. I know a quiet place we can retreat to."

"Yeah, sure. Give me a sec to eat some of this pizza, though. I don't want to have wasted my munny for nothing," Noah said, finally noticing that he hadn't taken more than a few bites of his slice.

"I gotta go use the restroom anyway. Meet me outside when you're done."

Noah quickly ate as much of the pizza as he was able to, and then left the restaurant. On his way out, he passed by Zidane and Klein, giving them an encouraging grin. Zidane halfheartedly waved, while Klein just looked at him blankly. Once outside, Noah found his girlfriend leaning against the wall, looking contemplative. "Everything alright?" he asked, sidling up beside her.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking about something."

"Thinking about what?"

"Nothing major. Come on, follow me."

Layla led the way down the street, pass the hustle and bustle of the small business district, and towards the more residential areas of West Harmony Island. As they walked by the main street, Noah took notice of all the decorations and shop stalls set up around the place, and realized he had forgotten just what today was. Aside from the Starry Skies Tournament, it was also the day of the Festival of Stars. The tournament had been the only thing that mattered to him, and he somehow blanked on the fact that the tournament was just another part of the festival. None of his friends had even mentioned it to him.

"I can't believe I forgot about the festival today," he told Layla. "I guess I can be a little single-minded, huh?"

"To be honest, I wasn't really thinking about it either," she admitted. "My original plan was to spend the day with Deidre at the spa. I mean, I've been to the festival nearly every year since I was born. Missing one wasn't gonna be the end of the world, you know?"

"I haven't even been to one yet," Noah said, trying and failing to keep the sadness out of his voice. "If only I hadn't been sick last year, or they hadn't cancelled the one before that . . . or if I actually lived here my whole life."

Not for the first time, Noah's mind focused on his past, or what little of it he could actually remember. He had washed up on East Harmony Island two and a half years ago, with no memory of how he got there or where he'd been prior to that day. All he could recall was his name. Layla had been the one to find him and help nurse him back to health, all the while growing more and more attached to him. She was also the reason he was friends with Klein and Zidane, as she had introduced them to each other. Together, they helped him form happy memories, though his forgotten memories hadn't ever returned. He didn't worry about it much, but there were times when he was alone that he couldn't help but wonder just what his life was like beforehand.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't even think about how you might feel. I should've asked you to go with me," Layla said, looking apologetic.

"Hey, it's no biggie. I should've been the one asking you. And since I didn't, there was nothing wrong with wanting to hang out with your friend. You should hang out with your female friends too."

"I know, but I enjoy spending time with you. I could honestly hang out with you all day."

Noah let out a hearty laugh, not believing a word of her statement.

"No, you couldn't. I'm probably the most boring person on these islands, and I'm not exactly the type to talk to about 'girl stuff'."

"I'm serious, Noah. I don't find you boring at all. You're actually rather refreshing to me."

Noah halted his forward progress for a few seconds and stared at Layla with soft eyes, feeling a sudden swell of affection for his girlfriend. When he resumed motion, he mentally struggled with the idea of pulling off into a high hedge and kissing her senseless, possible onlookers be damned. It took some effort, but he reigned in his hormonal desires and quietly continued to follow her, becoming more and more curious about their destination. He very rarely came over to the western island, and hadn't ever properly explored the place. He was strongly regretting that as they left behind the homes and apartments, and headed into the wilderness.

Thick trees lined the road, casting shadows across the dirt and stone, and forcing the sunlight to break through the branches in small beams, which created an almost heavenly effect as they walked. A wide variety of colorful flora dotted the landscape around them, providing personality to the area, while several different types of fauna added a much appreciated sense of life. Beyond the trees on the left was the startlingly blue sea, serene as always and bringing a sense of peace to Noah for reasons he wasn't entirely sure of. The edge of the sea gradually began to disappear from his sight as the road curved and began to go up. Noah wondered if they'd be hiking up the mountain to get to wherever it was that Layla was heading, but she dashed those thoughts by leading him off the relatively well traversed dirt road, and onto a very seldom walked and smaller dirt path. They vanished into a small copse of towering oak trees, and emerged in front of an entrance to a cave. Still content with being led, Noah said nothing as he and Layla entered, but his silence finally came to an end when he saw where their little journey ended.

"Wow," he breathed as he took in the sight before him. They stood in a circular cave, brilliantly lit by the sunlight that cascaded down the shaft that stretched up high, and filled with flowers of all colors and sizes. Red was the dominant color though, as roses were blossoming everywhere, providing a very powerful contrast to the lighter colored flowers around the rest of the place.

"I discovered this little hideaway a couple of days ago," Layla explained. "I was doing a little hiking and kinda stumbled into here by accident. Quite the find, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but how did you just 'stumble into here' exactly?"

Layla pointed up, indicating the shaft above. "I suppose saying I fell into here would be a more accurate explanation."

"You what?" Noah exclaimed while giving her a frightened look and scrambling to make sure she wasn't hurt. "How the hell did that happen? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, waving him off. "I had been up there, on the mountain, and I lucked into finding this shaft. When I set up a rope to rappel down and investigate, the rope broke and I fell. I wasn't far from the ground, so there was no harm done."

Noah let out a relieved sigh. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt.

"Thank the Spirits that you weren't seriously injured. I imagine your parents were pissed."

"They don't even know. I borrowed Dad's climbing gear, but when the rope broke, I went to replace it and just told him the new one was a gift from me since his old rope was getting worn out. I did not want them going berserk on me."

"Smart girl." Noah smiled at her, impressed at her quick thinking. "So, what are we doing here anyway?"

Layla gave him a lascivious smile. "My only thought was to get you alone and far away from prying eyes. Now we can have some . . . fun."

"My place wasn't good enough for this?" Noah asked as Layla pressed herself up against him.

"It's more romantic here. And the fact that nobody will be able to bother us means that we can be as kinky as we want."

"Kinky? Really? Layla, we haven't even had-"

"I'm aware," she said, interrupting him. "Doesn't mean we can't get. . .handsy, at least."

"Oh, like to use your hands, do you?"

"Very much so, yes," Layla said, grabbing the front of Noah's shirt and pulling him closer.

"May the Spirits give me strength," Noah murmured before he and Layla lost themselves in a haze of lust.

* * *

Noah found himself waking from a decidedly wonderful sleep an indeterminate amount of time later. He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but it wasn't particularly important, assuming he hadn't been asleep long enough to miss the tournament. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with both hands and glanced at his watch, though he failed to register the time due to the most unexpected sight that greeted him. He was no longer in the little cave Layla had led him to, nor was she even present at all anymore. To his bafflement, he was sitting upon what appeared to be a platform made out of stained glass, while a vast expanse of darkness stretched out in every direction he looked.

Thoroughly awakened by this odd state of things, Noah leapt to his feet and began to contemplate how he'd gotten to wherever he was and how he could manage to return from whence he came. Taking a few tentative steps forward, Noah got as close as he dared to the edge of the platform and looked down. The impenetrable darkness was the only thing that greeted him, and he hastily returned to the center of the platform before he grew dizzy from the apparent height, breathing rather heavily. He wasn't particularly afraid of high places, but it felt weird looking down and seeing nothing. Once he got his breathing under control, he walked around the circumference of the platform, looking down to see if there was anything to see at all. Though it was mostly just darkness, he spotted one thing of note a good distance below him at one point. It looked to be another platform like the one he stood on, though there was a clear image on it as opposed to the usual random arrangement of shapes and colors one generally found stained glass to be. Noah couldn't quite make out the image from his current position, and wondered if there was a way to reach the other platform. The moment he thought this, a long and winding staircase materialized before his eyes, leading straight to the other platform. He gaped at the suddenly appearing staircase, mystified by both its unexpected appearance and how it floated in the air without any kind of support. As he stepped closer to it, he saw that the staircase was really just a series of very small platforms that were arranged in the general shape and orientation of stairs. It didn't make him feel any less stunned.

Several quiet moments passed before his curiosity got the better of him and Noah slowly began make his descent down the stairs. He hadn't gone far before his nerves caused him to stall and consider going back. Deep down, he realized how stupid of an idea that was, since there was nothing of note back on the prior platform, but he still looked back out of sheer reflex. One glanced was all it took to see that there was no going back; the first few stairs he'd already walked down had vanished. This only served to unnerve him even further, but there was now no option but to go forward, so forward he went.

As he made his way down, taking great care not to look into the abyss and risk falling off into who knew where, Noah watched as the image on the platform he approached came into better view. He was surprised to see that it was an image of him with both arms held up at his sides, and eyes closed as if in meditation. There was an odd dichotomy to the image, however. One half of it had him in a bright, almost angelic light, while the other side was dark and sinister looking. This contradictory element was carried over into the facial expression and clothing of each half of the picture, too. The bright side wore a white and blue shirt with gray pants, and bore a benign smile; the dark half had on a red and black shirt on, the same gray pants, and had a very unsettling smirk on its face. Noah could feel the coldness in that half of a smirk, and involuntarily shivered.

Finally, Noah reached the bottom of the stairs and set foot on the platform. Behind him, the last few floating stairs performed their vanishing act, leaving him stranded. He didn't think much of this, having already been stranded to begin with. With nothing else to do, Noah walked around the platform, looking over the edges as he did back on the first one. He could see nothing in the distance this time, and he sighed in frustration. What exactly was he supposed to do here?

Almost as if in response to his unspoken question, there was an intense flash of light that threatened to blind him, forcing him to close his eyes. When it dissipated, a stone monolith stood in front of him, near the platform's edge. There appeared to be some writing on it, but he couldn't see what it said from his current position. Like any curious soul generally would, he strode forth to investigate the monolith's inscription. For a reason he couldn't identify, his body shook with trepidation. It seemed odd that he should be worried about simply reading the words on some stone, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to occur. He simply didn't know what. Despite this, he went over the inscription carefully. It read:

 _Light and Darkness,_

 _Good and Evil,_

 _White and Black…_

 _Two paths lie before you; two destinies to embrace._

 _Your fate has yet to be chosen, your future undecided._

 _Of two roads, one you must choose._

 _Will you walk the road to Dawn?_

 _Or will you march down the road to Dusk?_

Noah read over the inscription several times, slowly coming to an understanding as to what it meant. Opposites were the theme of the passage; the things it named were all opposites of each other. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly what choice would need to be made; a suspicion reinforced when he glanced down at the image of himself upon the platform. When he looked back up, he was surprised to find that two doors had appeared at the left and right edges of the platform. One door was a pearl white, and radiated warmth. The other door was black as the night sky, and felt cold. Noah stared at both doors for a brief moment, feeling torn. He wanted to go through the white door, afraid of what the other one represented, yet he felt a strange pull that kept causing him to look at the black door again. He couldn't make a decision and stick to it.

The decision became even harder when he noticed another door had appeared at the rear of the platform while he looked upon the first two. This third door was a smoky gray and felt . . . familiar, somehow. As soon as Noah looked at it, he had a strong desire to walk through this door instead of either of the others, and it almost overwhelmed him. He got as far as laying his hand on the doorknob before he stopped, feeling the pull of the other doors again. He just couldn't shake their allure, and that bothered him greatly. Why was it so hard to pick a door and walk through it?

For the fourth time in the span of a few minutes, something else suddenly appeared that dragged him from his thoughts. This time it was nothing more than a floating sphere of light, situated in the middle of the platform. Noah walked over to it, wondering what it was. Unlike with the doors, he could feel nothing coming from the light, and had no particular desire to reach out and touch it. Despite this, Noah had the distinct sense that this was an important moment, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and plunging his hand into the light. The second he did so, it grew brighter and brighter until it vanished just as suddenly as it had appeared, though it left behind something. Noah was flabbergasted to find his right hand grasping the handle of what appeared to be a sword, though it looked like a key that someone would use to unlock their house.

The sword had a rounded, white and black hilt with a gray handle, and the blade was fairly thin and colored a pale orange, with a tip that looked like clouds in the sky. Attached to the hilt was a single gray keychain with a cloud token on the end that was the same color as the blade. As Noah stared at the weapon in his hand, a strange, disembodied voice echoed in his head.

 _Keyblade . . . Keyblade . . ._

He wasn't sure where it came from, but Noah was aware that the voice was telling him the name of the weapon. It was a Keyblade. He had no idea why he was now holding it, or what that voice in his head was, though it immediately became a non-issue as the platform he stood on began to crack and splinter without warning. Noah looked around frantically, hoping to see a way out of what he knew would be one hell of a fall. He found nothing, however, and was forced to watch in horror as the platform continued to splinter and ultimately shatter, dropping him into the dark abyss below.


	4. Chapter 3: The Starry Skies Tournament

**Chapter Three: The Starry Skies Tournament**

* * *

Noah suddenly shot up from where he rested on the ground, breathing hard and feeling as if he just narrowly avoided an untimely demise. Beside him was Layla, lightly snoring and very much unaware of any of the weirdness her boyfriend had just experienced. Noah breathed a sigh of relief, happy he wasn't stuck falling through the darkness forever, or worse, about to hit the ground at a high enough velocity that he would be no more than a smear upon it. He had never thought about the possible ways he might one day die, but he was sure he never envisioned something so painful.

Now that he was conscious, Noah couldn't believe that it had all been a dream. Everything had felt so real, and he couldn't remember ever having so vivid a dream before. Not even his recurring dream of the man in white felt so realistic to him after waking up, but he could clearly recall the feel of the key shaped sword that had appeared in his hands in this last dream, and could still sense the pull of the mysterious doors that he found himself unable to decide between.

 _Was that really all a dream, or did it actually happen?_

Unsure of the answer to his own question, Noah decided to shelve his thoughts on the matter for now. There was little to gain by dwelling on it overmuch, and his focus would need to be elsewhere come the tournament later that night. As he thought about the upcoming event, he looked at his watch to see just how long he'd been out, hoping that he and Layla hadn't missed the damn thing. Luckily, they'd only been in the cave for just under an hour, meaning they still had plenty of time before things got underway. He considered how to spend the remaining time he had, but his attention was forcibly directed to the hand that started to caress his back while he wasn't looking.

"You are the best thing to see upon waking up," Layla said, returning to the waking world. "It'd be nice to see you every time I woke up."

"Sure, you say that now. Give it a few weeks, and I guarantee you'll be tired of seeing my ugly mug every morning," Noah said with false seriousness. "I mean, I'm so unappealing to look at in the mornings. Absolutely horrible."

"I think I'll be the judge of that. You're what I call a beautiful man."

"Not quite a man yet, Layla. And I don't know whether to be flattered or offended at being called beautiful. You aren't saying I'm feminine, are you?"

"Noah, if you're feminine, then I must be a lesbian, because I can't get enough of you."

Noah laughed uproariously at her words. "Oh wow, that was so corny it hurts! You can do better than that." He pretended to ponder something for a moment before adding, "Although, you kissing another girl _would_ be pretty hot."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not happening," Layla said. Then, "Besides, I already went through my 'curious' phase during freshman year. No need to revisit that."

Noah's eyes visibly bulged as he took in what she said. "Wait, you seriously kissed a girl before? And I missed this?"

"Not my fault you entered my life too late to witness my little phase. Admittedly, it wasn't entirely terrible, just ultimately not my thing."

"So . . . a threesome is technically a possibility then?"

"Hell no! I don't share my toys."

"So I'm one of your toys now?" Noah asked in mock horror.

"Oh yeah," Layla replied as seriously as she could manage. "Every girl needs a boy toy at some point."

"Now you reveal your true colors, vile seductress!" Noah exclaimed theatrically. "How blind I have been to your manipulations, but no more shall you beguile me with your womanly wiles!"

"Such a fool you are to think you can resist my charms. Rest assured that you shall be my man-slave forever more, no matter how strong you think your willpower is!"

"Away with you, foul demoness! Should you continue this fruitless endeavor, I will be forced to banish you to the netherworld from whence you came!"

"You know not your place! You are but a man, and a man can never best me!"

Noah tried to come up with a suitable response, but his ability to hold in his laughter failed him, and he broke character. Layla soon followed suit, and the two of them sat in the cave, laughing merrily at their act. When they finally gained control of themselves again, Noah spent a few moments looking at his girlfriend affectionately.

"There's never a dull moment with you, Layla. You really know how to make life fun," he said.

"You can thank my mother for that," Layla told him. "I get my ability to brighten a room from her. I think I have a unique power to excite you, though."

"Nah, I'm just easily amused. You simply take advantage of that."

"So you say, but you're lucky enough to be with me during my sexual awakening. It gives me an edge."

"Sexual awakening? Are you for real?"

"Didn't you yourself say that you lose control when simply kissing me? You tell me if I'm for real."

"I'd say that's more an issue with my inability to restrain myself, but hey, you can think what you want." Noah got up and dusted his backside off, offering a hand to Layla afterward. "Now, as we still have plenty of time to burn, how about we go to the festival? Of course, you could go find your friend Deidre and do what you guys were gonna do. I wouldn't mind."

"I'm not going to ditch you, Noah. Besides, like you said, you've never been to the festival. I would love to help make your first one a truly memorable experience. We can even track down Klein and Zidane if you want."

"No need. We'll probably run into them later, so let's just keep enjoying some time as a couple," Noah said, causing Layla to smile brightly at him.

"Then follow me, dear Noah. The festival awaits us."

 _ **~KH~**_

In a word, Noah was ecstatic. He was currently attempting to win Layla a giant teddy bear by succeeding at a shooting game, though his aim had been fairly poor so far. After sinking over 500 munny into it, he knew he couldn't give up just yet. It took him three more tries and 300 more munny before he finally managed to beat the game. Despite the eight attempts it took, he presented Layla the bear with a self-satisfied smile on his face.

"Not bad, right?" he asked, trying to sound proud of himself.

"Sure, not bad at all. I mean, it could've been better, but I won't deny you this moment of joy."

"Yes, leave my fragile pride standing as tall as it possibly can after shelling out 800 munny on a game. I hope you treasure that bear. It's probably become the most expensive teddy bear you will ever see."

"Don't worry, it will be my most beloved possession," Layla assured him. "So, where to next?"

They had already spent a good deal of the day wandering around the festival and seeing all it had to offer. There had been an interesting performance by some very skilled dancers that left the two impressed, a ski ball game that Layla excelled at, a basketball court where they had a game that was far closer than Noah expected, several carnival style games like the shooting gallery, and even a puppet theater for the younger crowd that Layla enjoyed immensely. There were still a few things they had yet to do, but night was fast approaching, and the Starry Skies Tournament would be starting soon. It was best not to get too involved in something beforehand.

"We don't have too much time to burn. How about we snag us some cotton candy and find Klein and Zidane?" Noah said. "I figure we can all head down to the arena together."

"Fine by me. We've seen most of what the festival has to offer anyway."

"Must've been kinda samey for you. I mean, how often do these attractions change?" Noah asked as they began walking to a nearby cotton candy vendor.

"Not much, but it felt so much more exciting with you here," Layla said sincerely.

"I feel as if you're overstating the effect of my presence, but I'm not gonna complain."

As they stood by while the vendor gave them their confection, Zidane came waltzing over, looking full of himself. "Well, hey there strangers! Where've ya been all day?" he said, even more chipper than he usually was.

"We've been here for most of the day," Noah told him. "What about you? And where's Klein?"

"He's probably still trying to detach himself from the girl he met back at the pizza parlor."

"You mean the one you introduced him to," Layla corrected.

"Details, details. Point is the girl took a liking to him. She's a bit clingier than would be cool, but she's Klein's problem. Her friend was a lot cooler, to be honest. We've got another date tomorrow."

"I gotta say, you work damn fast," Noah said. "Did you drag Klein into your business just for him to be your wingman?"

"It's part of the reason, but not the full one. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to give you full disclosure, in case you're wondering," Zidane told them.

"Why not? We're not gonna think any worse of you than we already do," Layla said.

"Oh, you're very funny. Seriously though, it's not my place to speak on things. That is all I will say on the matter."

Before Noah could think of what to say to that, Klein walked up with a tired expression on his face. He brightened up a little when he saw the others. "Man, am I glad to see you two," he said, looking at Noah and Layla. "You would not believe the day I've had."

"It was great, wasn't it?" Zidane asked, earning him a hard glare.

"Great for you, maybe. The girl you so casually passed off to me was…well, a nuisance. She was downright nuts, I swear."

"Oh, she wasn't that bad. You just didn't give her a chance."

"You must be joking. The girl followed me everywhere! I spent a lot more time with her than I wanted!"

"How'd you ditch her anyway?" Noah asked.

"Told her I wasn't feeling well and needed to go rest," Klein replied. "I feel sorta bad about lying, but she was way too clingy for me."

"What are you gonna do if she's in the audience during the tournament?" Zidane asked.

"She's not gonna be there. I made sure to confirm that before coming up with my lie."

"I advise you be honest with her the next time you see her," Layla said. "The islands aren't that extensive, you know. You're bound to run into her again at some point, and it'll be unnecessarily awkward if you don't tell her you aren't that into her."

"What makes you think I was going to keep lying to her?"

"It's the easy approach. Most guys would go for it."

"Well, you don't have to worry. I will be letting her down easy the next time we meet." Klein took a look at his watch, perking up considerably when he saw what time it was. "Hey, it's just about time for the tournament to begin. We should get over to the site."

"I can't wait to kick all your asses," Zidane said confidently.

"Keep dreaming, monkey boy," Noah said. "Tonight's my night."

"We shall see, dear Noah. We shall see indeed."

 _ **~KH~**_

The sky's twilight hue had finally faded, making way for the first few stars to be seen, as the four gathered around the temporary arena erected just for the tournament. With little else to do, Noah scanned the crowd while they waited for things to begin. He spotted the other four combatants hanging out on the opposite side of the arena, though only two of them seemed to know each other if the way they were chatting animatedly was anything to go by. Noah also spotted Layla's parents in the crowd, looking a tad nervous, which was a little unexpected. According to her, they didn't normally show up to these things, nor did she ever tell them she competed. He wondered how they'd react when she was called up to fight.

Noah also spotted Klein's dad in the crowd too, an excited grin plastered on his face. From what Klein had said, his dad was really into the Starry Skies Tournament, though his mom disapproved. She found the whole thing barbaric, but his father never missed a tournament if he could help it. He would likely be rooting for Klein, though Noah had no intentions of losing the contest. This was his first time competing, and he was going to win.

"I see quite a few family members out there," he said to the others, pointing out the people he saw.

"Mom and Dad are here, huh? Oh, the look on their faces will be priceless," Layla said with a grin.

"My dad is gonna cheer like crazy, just watch," Klein added. "No way I can lose with him supporting me."

"My mother is hanging around somewhere too," Zidane stated, giving a cursory glance around. "I wonder how loud she'll cheer for me."

Suddenly, Layla smacked her forehead, realizing something. "Damn, that was kind of rude of us. We didn't mean to upset you, Noah. Sorry about that." Klein and Zidane sported apologetic looks as well, understanding what Layla was getting at.

"No need to apologize guys. I'm not bothered, I swear."

"You . . . sure about that?" Zidane asked hesitantly. "I mean. . ."

Noah turned his gaze skyward, looking at the stars. "I do think about my parents, yeah. Who wouldn't? I don't know a lick about my past though, and while they could be alive and well somewhere, possibly looking for me, it isn't like I can get to them, so why let it bug me? I've got you guys, and that's all I really need."

"Geez, dude," Klein said, putting a hand on Noah's shoulder, "you really know how to get a guy all teary at the wrong moment."

"Yeah, but don't think your distraction will work," Zidane said confidently. "I'm still gonna win."

"You mean you'll try," Layla said. "All of you are about to learn why the fairer sex is the most dangerous."

The foursome continued to playfully argue about who would win as the emcee welcomed everyone to the tournament and gave a quick rundown of how things would work. The eight competitors would ultimately be reduced to just two finalists after six 2-on-2 matches, and then a final round would decide the winner, though there were prizes for the runner-up, as well as all of the final four. Noah hoped that all of his friends would make it to the final four so they could be winners together, but he never had the best luck, and figured that wouldn't happen just because he desired it so. His suspicions were proved correct when the first round combatants were revealed, pitting him against Zidane.

"Aw yeah, I get to kick Noah's ass first!" Zidane crowed excitedly. "Uh, no hard feelings when I win, right?"

"Just get in the arena, monkey boy," Noah said. "Let your skills do the talking."

"Gladly. I'll let you know how it feels to be champion later."

Noah settled for rolling his eyes as he stepped up into the arena, declining the padded bat offered by one of the tournament officials. They were options for those who didn't bring their own weapons, but Noah wouldn't have felt comfortable with anything but his wooden sword in hand. He had carved it himself only a month after first arriving on the islands, wanting to get into practicing with Layla and the others. The weight was perfect for him, and he felt more confident when using it as opposed to someone else's. He spent a great deal of time modifying the length and adding a few embellishments, and it was his baby.

Across from him, Zidane juggled his wooden daggers while performing a few stretches. While most of the fighters used swords in the tournament, Zidane favored daggers as his primary weapons. He said they fit his faster, more agile fighting style than a cumbersome sword would, and that they gave him an advantage. Though Noah wasn't a supreme tactical mastermind, he was well aware that Zidane's speed and dual daggers were going to be tricky to overcome despite all the times he'd sparred against Zidane beforehand. None of those times had been more than training exercises, but this was a real bout. The same problem would be present in fighting Klein or Layla, but Noah would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Alright folks, it's time to get this tournament underway with our first match of the evening!" the emcee announced to the crowd. "We have tournament regular and local oddity Zidane, versus newcomer and definite underdog, Noah! Who will win this bout and move on to the next round? Let's find out! Fighters, you ready?"

"Oh yeah," Zidane said.

"I've been ready," Noah replied.

"Remember, first to give up, get knocked out, step out of the arena, or remain immobile for ten seconds is the loser, understood? Alright, in that case . . . let the battle begin!"

The emcee leapt off the stage as a bell was rung, signaling the fight's start. Zidane immediately rushed Noah, daggers ready to swipe. Noah momentarily thought about dodging, but he knew that Zidane wanted him to do exactly that. The other boy was undoubtedly faster, so Noah opted to play the wall and take up a defensive stance. Zidane took a few swipes at Noah, annoyance crossing his face at how Noah was able to block each one. He then leapt over Noah's head, kicking him in the back in order to throw him off guard. Noah wasn't expecting the sudden acrobatic move, but went with the flow by tucking into a ball and using the momentum to roll safely away. Zidane was already charging again when Noah got back on his face, forcing him to clumsily dodge to the side. Zidane reacted almost instantaneously, shifting his direction and transitioning into a spinning slash utilizing both daggers. The hits connected with enough force to make Noah trip over his feet, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You might as well give up," Zidane said, standing over Noah. "I got this in the bag."

"Over my dead body," Noah said, barely noticing the referee's countdown had started.

"Whoa dude, why so hardcore?"

"Because it's distracting."

Zidane didn't have a lot of time to consider what his friend meant, as Noah extended a leg and tripped Zidane. The blonde boy went down, while Noah scrambled to his feet and trained his sword on his fallen foe. "Check," he said.

"But that's not checkmate," the other boy countered, rolling forward onto his hands and springing himself upwards. Noah stepped back to avoid any potential kicks, but Zidane was counting on that. He landed in the spot Noah had previously occupied, giving him a perfect opportunity to strike. Turning to face Noah, Zidane unleashed a series of strikes at high speed, making Noah take up a defensive stance once more in order to block them. Zidane proved faster, however, and several of his blows struck home. Noah staggered slightly from the force of the attacks, allowing Zidane an opening to follow up with a power strike to the gut. As Zidane's dagger came at him, everything suddenly slowed to a crawl for Noah. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he could clearly see Zidane's attack coming and could retaliate with ease.

As soon as he figured out what to do, everything sped back up to normal speeds. He intercepted the incoming blow with a swipe of his hand, and then twirled around Zidane to deliver a mighty strike on his backside. Zidane crumpled instantly, an expression of pain evident on his face.

"Give up yet?" Noah asked?

"Not a chance," was Zidane's response as he swung his tail at Noah. It was a largely pointless move, as the tail wasn't thick enough to actually do damage, but it surprised Noah enough to give Zidane another opening. The blonde boy tossed one of his wooden daggers at Noah, intending to make him flinch and susceptible to a stronger attack, but the plan went awry when Noah caught the dagger in midair. Both boys looked at the dagger with expressions of shock, neither having expected the feat, but Zidane quickly recovered and began another assault. Noah skillfully blocked each blow, putting all his focus into defending against the lightning fast strikes. After a few moments, everything slowed to a crawl once more, though Noah wasn't as taken aback by it this time. He didn't know why it happened again, but it felt like a strangely natural ability to him.

He knew now wasn't the time to analyze the issue though. This was a competition, and he planned to win. As things began to return to normal speed, he casually deflected Zidane's attacks and positioned himself behind his friend, though with his sword at Zidane's neck and an arm in his grasp. The dagger wielding boy looked flabbergasted at the turn of events; sure he'd had things in the bag. He wasn't dumb enough to think there was a way to turn it around now, however.

"I assume you yield, right?" Noah asked. Zidane struggled a bit, but it was a futile effort.

"Looks that way," he said calmly. "Really thought I had you."

"Maybe next year, Z."

"Oh, definitely next year. This loss must be avenged."

Noah let him go, and Zidane sheathed his daggers and gave Noah a high five. He was gracious, even in defeat.

"Uh . . . it would seem that Zidane has given up," the emcee announced, sounding slightly confused. Noah inwardly laughed at how the poor man was thrown for a loop by the sudden forfeit. "That means that Noah goes on to the next round!"

There were cheers from the crowd, and a few loud boos from Zidane's father that was unmistakably good natured, as Noah and Zidane left the arena and the next fighters were called up. Upon hearing Layla's name, Noah couldn't help but glance at her parents in the crowd. As expected, their reaction was priceless. They glanced at each other in confusion, looked at Layla worriedly as she entered the arena, and seemed torn between either letting things play out, or forcibly removing their daughter from the event. They needn't have worried though. The match ended in a short two minutes. Layla's form was impressive, showing what appeared to be years of practice. She made every motion count, never taking a swing that didn't connect, and her opponent realized how outmatched he was very quickly. Layla actually looked disappointed when he gave up.

"Damn, you are good," Noah told her when she came back to stand next to him. "How come you never fight like that when sparring with everyone?"

"No need to reveal all my moves during training," she told him cheekily.

Klein had a far more difficult time in battle, though his fight was more action packed. His opponent was a girl who fought with wild abandon, forgoing any kind of strategy in favor of a relentless assault. It went a long way to explaining why she chose to fight with one of the tournament-provided bats instead of her own weapon. The cushioned bat wouldn't hurt someone as much.

Klein fought admirably, doing his best to match the girl's ferocity while still holding back enough not to hurt her. Wooden swords may not have been able to kill, generally speaking, but they could still bruise. Unfortunately for Klein, his reluctance to go all out led to his eventual defeat, as he just couldn't keep up with the girl's crazy attacks. He chose to forfeit the match rather than let her knock him on his ass. Noah knew that Klein had no compunctions about losing to a girl, unlike some guys, but there was a certain dignity to knowing when you were beat and acknowledging another's superior skill, or, as the case was this time, wilder fighting style.

"Watch out for her, you two," Klein said to Noah and Layla afterward. "I now realize why someone with no training can be just as dangerous as someone with it. Give her a real sword, and she'd probably be able to kill a guy with ease."

"I can take her, easily," Layla said, not looking the least bit worried. "She may have an advantage due to her unpredictability, but it isn't a match for my technique. She leaves herself open far too much, and it's easy to capitalize on. I doubt Noah would have too much trouble either, judging by the way he handled Zidane earlier."

"Sounds like we're gonna see if you're right about me," Noah said, hearing his name called along with the girl's. "Hey, don't lose your match, okay Layla? I want a real challenge for my last opponent."

"How about you focus on winning this one first, eh?"

Noah waved his hand dismissively as he stepped into the arena again, feeling confident in himself. Across from him, the girl, Annalise, was looking just as confident. She didn't even appear winded from her bout with Klein, which was pretty impressive. A bit less impressive and more annoying was the way in which she tore into him as soon as the battle began. As he already knew, her moves were wild and uncoordinated, which made it a task to defend against. Not an impossible one, but a tiring one.

Noah wondered if his sudden new ability to slow down time would come into play this time around, but nothing of the sort happened. He didn't really need such a power though, as Layla was spot on in her assessment of Annalise. The girl fought ferociously, but she left no thought to defending herself. Noah already spotted several holes in her defense, and was just waiting for a good moment to strike. He was more than a little disappointed that he'd make it to the final round by beating a fighter who showed such little skill, but a win was a win.

After blocking another set of her wild strikes, Noah made his move. He dashed to Annalise's left side in a sudden movement and swung his sword. She looked surprised to see him strike, and reacted as fast as she could. It was a pointless action on her part, as Noah never intended to actually connect his attack. It was nothing more than a feint, which left Annalise wide open. He didn't take advantage of it however. Instead of following through with an attack, Noah continually performed feints, keeping Annalise guessing as to when he would commit to an attack. The girl was thrown off of her game, unable to even attempt to counter him.

Noah kept this up for a good while, but eventually knew it had to end. He followed his final feint with a mighty blow aimed right at her bat, which she was holding far too loosely. The bat was flung out of her hand, leaving her weaponless and at his mercy. All Noah had to do was train his sword on her, as she no longer looked like the ferocious fighter she started the match as. She was beaten, and she knew it.

"You're good," Annalise told him.

"Maybe, but you need to work on your technique," Noah responded. "Your wild approach may be able to overwhelm some people, but better warriors will take you out easily. Think about that."

The two left the arena to allow Layla and her opponent to have their fight. It went on longer than Layla's first battle, but that was in large part due to Layla drawing it out on purpose. The other guy seemed to be a fair challenge, but Layla was still the superior combatant. As Noah watched her move, he began to wonder if he stood a chance against her. She had apparently never gone all out during training, so his impending match with her was going into new territory.

It wasn't too much longer before the emcee announced Layla's victory, which turned out to be the only fight at that point that was won via a knockout. Noah could only imagine what her parents were thinking of their daughter at that moment. Considering he was currently viewing her as a rather intimidating opponent, he figured their assessment of their daughter was being completely redone in their heads.

"I hope you're ready to lose," Layla said to him as they enjoyed the break before the final fight.

"Not really, so you should mentally prepare for the intense feeling of loss you're about to have," Noah fired back.

"You know, I could simply forbid you from cuddling with me later if you don't hand me victory."

"That's so far below you as a tactic, and you know damn well it'll backfire on you."

"Says who?"

"Says past experiences. I'm irresistible, baby."

"Well, hello Mr. Big Ego. Gonna have to take you down a peg now."

The emcee called them back to the arena for the last round. Noah mentally readied himself, knowing that the championship trophy was almost in his grasp. All that stood in his way was his incredibly skilled girlfriend.

"Alright people, this is it! We're down to our last two fighters, both of whom have proven their skill in this tournament," the emcee announced. "In one corner, we have Noah, our underdog who proved himself to be quite the threat. In the other corner, we've got Layla, swordswoman extraordinaire. Which of these two magnificent swordfighters will come out on top and claim the Starry Sky Trophy? I don't know, but I can't wait to find out! Combatants ready? Then let's commence the final round!"

As soon as the bell was rung, Noah and Layla began to circle each other. Noah decided that he'd take this slow and steady, needing to match Layla pound for pound if he stood a chance at winning. He wanted to let her make the first move, but she seemed intent on letting him strike first. This resulted in them circling the arena several times before the two finally chose to attack, moving simultaneously. They clashed in the arena's center, locking blades and pressing for the advantage. They remained like that for a few moments, before breaking away and beginning what could only be described as a performance.

They moved in sync, striking and retreating with practiced ease, and constantly moving all the while. Layla seemed to be in her element, but Noah was a bit more nervous than he would've liked to be. He was fighting mostly on instinct, emulating the way Layla had moved in her earlier fights. It came more naturally to him than expected, which helped to keep him focused. It wouldn't do to slip up and give Layla an opening. He was going to outlast her, and snatch up the win for himself, no matter how much effort it took.

Unfortunately, Fate had other plans.

As he and Layla moved in for another clash, they were stopped in their tracks by the sudden appearance of a slim, hooded figure in the middle of the arena, emerging from some kind of weird, dark portal. They watched the figure in confusion, unsure of what to expect from the newcomer.

"Um, you're interrupting a match here," the emcee said shakily, visibly rattled by the figure. "Would you mind stepping out of the arena?"

The figure then removed their hood, revealing a teenage girl with forest green hair. "Oh, that's not a problem," she said. "I just need to find the Keyblade wielder who's hanging around here somewhere. If you're here, mind coming forward?"

The crowd murmured uncertainly, not entirely sure what was going on. Noah was worried though. He recalled the dream he had experienced earlier, in which he had held a weapon called a Keyblade. He hadn't given it much thought since he wanted to focus on the tournament, but now he was forced to wonder just what that dream had been about.

The girl frowned at the crowd and let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course it wouldn't be simple. Well, no matter. There are ways of making things easier."

She snapped her fingers, and several creatures appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the arena. They were small, floating things that were colored white and strongly resembled ghosts. Noah wasn't sure what they were capable of, but the crowd clearly wasn't of a mind to find out, as they scattered at the sight of the ghostly things.

"Noah, what do we do?" Layla asked, looking at the things with apprehension.

Noah didn't answer immediately, as he was still shocked by what was going on. He forcibly shook the cobwebs from his head and turned to Layla. "We should probably run."

They tried to leave the arena, but the ghostly creatures floated down and surrounded them, barring any escape. Noah took a swing at one, only to find his wooden sword went right through it. He couldn't understand how that happened.

"Ooh, brave kid," the green haired girl said, turning to him. "That toy isn't gonna be of much help though."

The creatures closed the gap even more, forcing Layla and Noah to huddle together. There were no options, and no way out. Noah didn't know what to do at this point, but he wracked his brain for a solution.

"Sora would've made an appearance by now," the girl said, mostly to herself. "Whoever this wielder the boss sent me to nab must either be a coward, or really, really slow. Come on Keyblade wielder, show yourself!"

At the mention of the Keyblade, something stirred within Noah. He could feel a power simmering just below the surface, waiting to be called upon. He wasn't sure what it was, but he embraced the feeling and reached out, both in his mind, as well as physically with his hand. There was a blinding light that engulfed him and Layla for several long seconds, and then dissipated to reveal Noah holding an odd sword. He slowly recognized it as the weapon from his dream, and knew that this was the Keyblade.

The ghost-like creatures reacted to the weapon, shivering strangely and looking like they were going to attack at any moment. Acting purely on instinct, Noah slammed the weapon's tip into the ground, creating a wave of light that extended outward and caused the creatures to vanish. He had no idea why he thought to do that, but he was too happy about it working to dwell on it. Aside from that, there was still a problem present.

"Ah, you must be a new wielder," the green haired girl said. "Not ideal, but you'll do. So, how about you come with me willingly? That way I won't have to hurt you."

* * *

 **A/N:** The chapter ended up slightly longer than intended, but that's not really a bad thing.

Anyway, I just wanted to address something before anyone makes a mention of it. Noah does not have the power to slow down time. From his perspective, that's what it seemed like, but it's simply him focusing so deeply that things appear to move slower than normal. Think bullet time.


	5. Chapter 4: A Fight He Cant Win

**Chapter Four: A Fight He Can't Win**

* * *

There was a long moment in which no one said a thing, instead choosing to settle for watching each other. To Noah, the standoff was immeasurably tense, and had him feeling like he'd rather be anywhere other than there. In the back of his mind, he also felt disappointed that his battle with Layla had been interrupted. He really wanted to see which of them was the better fighter. The random thought was quickly shelved as the brief period of silence came to its inevitable end when the green haired girl let out an annoyed sigh and took a step closer to Noah.

"So, I take it we're doing this the hard way, are we? And here I thought you'd be simpler to deal with than Sora."

"Who exactly are you?" Noah asked, his brain failing to come up with any other response in the moment.

"I can't see a good reason to tell you, but if it helps get you to come with me in peace, I might as well introduce myself. I am Micaiah, the Third Sword of the Shade. And you are?"

"Noah. Now, what do you want from me?"

Micaiah sighed in exasperation before answering. "What, I haven't been clear enough? I want you to come with me. If you give me no fuss, we won't have a problem."

"And why do you need me?" Noah asked, trying to stall for time while he figured out his next course of action. The situation wasn't a good one to be in, and he would've loved to have some kind of escape route to use. That didn't seem to be particularly feasible at the moment, and he couldn't think of any ways to distract the girl, so his options were heartbreakingly limited.

"For reasons. I don't need to explain myself to you, Keyblade Wielder. Just come along quietly now."

"I don't mind helping you out if you're in need, but I'd like to know what I'm gonna be doing. I mean, you aren't exactly making the greatest first impression."

Micaiah gave Noah a look that could crack ice, then flicked her index finger at him. A small jolt of electricity leapt from her finger and beelined towards the teen. Noah immediately jumped back, but it proved unnecessary, as the tiny bolt impacted harmlessly on the ground, several feet from his prior position. It was only through incredible willpower that he refrained from immediately trying to make a break for it. Aside from the fact that turning his back to an enemy would be an unbelievably idiotic move, he couldn't just up and ditch Layla. That would be a new low.

"I'm not gonna stand here and play twenty questions with you," Micaiah said harshly. "Either you come with me of your own free will, or I will take you by force. Your state of consciousness matters not, though I would very much prefer that I didn't need to carry you."

Noah tensed up, realizing that stalling for time was no longer an option. It was time to fight. Of course, the fact that his opponent could apparently fire lightning out of her fingers made him wonder just what kind of fight he was entering into. It didn't really matter, given the ultimatum he was presented with, but it was a thought he couldn't shake. He could only imagine how much power she could generate, and knew that electricity was not something to mess with. "I'm really sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be going anywhere. In case you didn't notice, I'm a bit busy at the moment. Maybe you could try again next week?"

"I see you've opted for the 'Please beat me senseless, Miss Micaiah' option. Okay, I'll be happy to oblige."

Noah tensed up, readying himself for a fight. Before any blows could be traded, however, Layla surprised both fighters by leaping in front of Noah to defend him.

"Back off, lady! Touch even one hair on his head, and I will gut you!"

"Oh, how cute! The girlfriend jumps in to protect her man. Nice gesture and all, but you're only a distraction. Kindly get the hell out of the way, please."

Layla lunged, apparently forgetting that she only wielded a wooden blade at the moment. Micaiah clearly noticed though, as she caught Layla's sword in one hand, then yanked hard. The sword, and Layla, who wasn't expecting such a move and still gripped the blade tightly, was tossed away like trash.

"Alrighty then. Now that the chaff has been dealt with, we can proceed to the main event."

Rage sparked to life within Noah, not liking his girlfriend being called chaff. Despite his earlier reservations, he gripped the strange Keyblade tightly and charged at Micaiah without a second thought. He attempted to cleave right through her, but was flabbergasted when he only sliced through the air. Somehow, and without him even seeing it, she had disappeared. He stared at the spot she had vacated, not believing what had just occurred.

"Gonna hafta be faster than that if you wanna get me," Micaiah suddenly said from behind him, prompting him to turn around. She stood not five feet away, grinning smugly. "Care to try again?"

Noah growled angrily, and attacked again. He went for a piercing blow this time, but the green haired girl deftly dodged it, looking as if she was bored. Noah, not wanting to give up, launched a flurry of wild strikes. It wasn't the finest display of technique, but he just wanted to tag her. Prove to her, and himself, that she wasn't untouchable. Unfortunately, she seemed determined to show him that he was horribly wrong. No attack he made could connect, despite his every effort. He was sure that he'd never tried so hard before, yet this girl made him look like a hopeless chump who understood nothing of swordplay, and she was entirely unarmed!

After merely evading his blows for a time, she up and vanished before his eyes once again. Before Noah could even think to check his surroundings, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around to see Micaiah standing there, a gleeful smile on her face, and her right hand raised. She then palmed him hard in the gut, causing him to stumble backwards in pain. Noah desperately tried to shake it off, but that became impossible when she extended a leg, delivering a swift kick to the same spot she had jammed her palm into. Noah was launched out of the arena, landing hard on one of the benches that spectators had been seated at, and subsequently breaking it.

"You're a really crappy fighter, Noah. Were you aware of that at all before you attacked me? Seems like you should've known already," she told him, disappointment lacing her tone.

"Screw you," Noah managed to groan out as he struggled to return to his feet.

"That the best you got? Man, that's pathetic. If you can't fight, you should at least have some snappy comebacks or entertaining quips. You're quickly becoming a major disappointment, though I can't say I'm surprised. Most are when I face them in combat. I don't even remember the last time I was faced with a real challenge." She sighed loudly again, adding, "I kinda wish I did have the chance to take on someone from the Organization. At least that would've been fun."

Noah ignored Micaiah's verbal jabs as he slowly rose to his feet. Though he had briefly considered he was outmatched, seeing the truth firsthand stung more than he cared to admit. He never fancied himself the finest warrior on the Harmony Islands, but he thought he could do better than this. It was almost disheartening enough to make him drop his weapon and surrender, but he wasn't quite ready to give in completely just yet.

As Micaiah took a few steps forward, Noah caught some movement from behind the girl. It was Layla, who was back up on her feet and looking angrier than he'd ever seen her. Noah realized that she could give him a solid opening to nail a direct hit on Micaiah, so he quickly provided a diversion.

"I guess we can call an end to the warm-up phase," he said confidently, rotating his weapon arm and holding back a wince at the sharp pain he felt upon doing so. "I just wanted to get a feel for your strength, and now I've got you pegged."

"You've got me pegged?" Micaiah asked incredulously. "Alright, I give you points for trying, but your bluff game needs work. I can see the pain in your eyes, Noah. I put any additional effort into this fight, and I'll break you so easily it wouldn't be funny. For future reference, you should try to become a better liar before trying to put one over on somebody."

"It's fine. I was just making sure that you were paying attention to me, and not to the girl behind you."

Before Micaiah could even turn around, Layla quickly caught her in a grapple, locking down the other girl's arms and legs. Noah was impressed that Layla even knew such a move. "You are the best girlfriend a guy could ask for!"

"I do try my best to exceed expectations," Layla called back, sparing a moment to flash him a brilliant smile. She immediately returned her focus to keeping Micaiah stationary though, prompting Noah to focus on the task at hand once more. He raised his Keyblade, preparing to leap back onto the arena stage and strike a mighty blow...but found himself hesitating. What if he killed her? She wasn't trying to take his life, and he had no real idea of the lethality of the strange weapon he held. If he struck with too much power and took Micaiah's life, could he live with that guilt? He was no killer, after all.

"What kind of pansy are you?" Micaiah asked, looking at Noah with unconcealed pity. "You've got me right where you want me, and you can't act? Lemme guess. Scared you'll go too far and end me? Yeah, I can see it written all over your face. Geez, you really need to grow a pair."

"Nobody cares what you think, you pathetic excuse for a human being!" Layla growled. "You ought to be thankful he's thinking about your life at all!"

"Am I supposed to be worried? Sorry girl, but neither you nor him have me in any kind of position of submission," Micaiah said matter-of-factly. Then, as an afterthought, added, "Oh, I rhymed! Even if I'm not trying to be, I'm cute."

"I can think of a few words to describe you, and cute ain't one of them. And as for your current predicament, did you forget the fact that I have you nicely locked in my grip?"

"I mean, I'll give you credit for the hold. You've got a strong grip for such a dainty looking girl. However, there are two things that you are woefully unaware of which matter a whole lot.

"Number one: I practice my hand to hand with a friend of mine nearly everyday. I can break out of some of her best grapples, and she is far stronger than you."

"Babe, do it now!" Layla yelled, spurring Noah into action. With a mighty roar, he leapt up into the air, attempting to bring the Keyblade down on Micaiah's head, results be damned. She was dangerous. Unfortunately, it didn't play out the way he hoped.

"And number two?" Micaiah began, her body sparking with electricity. "I was playing nice with you both this whole time."

At that moment, Micaiah let loose a powerful surge of electrical force that sent Noah and Layla flying, though thankfully not too far. Both were able to get back on their feet quickly enough, though Noah's right shoulder felt like it was on fire. He'd landed on it twice now, and he figured it was probably dislocated. The situation had gone from really bad to utterly hopeless, and he had no ideas on how to reverse things.

"So, have I made the massive, massive gap in our power clear enough yet? There is nothing you can do to beat me. You can keep fighting if you want, but I don't recommend it," Micaiah said. "Don't needlessly suffer, Noah. Just come with me, and you won't have to worry anymore."

"There is nothing about you or you demeanor that makes me think that's a good idea," Noah told her, placing his Keyblade in his left hand. No way he could fight with his dominant arm when the shoulder was out of whack, and he fully intended to keep fighting. Not because he thought he could win, but because he couldn't bring himself to submit to her. Her smug attitude offended him, and he could never give someone like that the satisfaction of knowing they broke him. It would always bother him if he did so.

"I hate stupid people like you," Micaiah fired back. "I honestly can't stand them. Who in their right mind can be so cavalier with the one life they have? I think I'm gonna beat some self-respect into you before I turn you over to my boss. It'll do you some good."

Noah assumed a defensive position, intent on defending himself to the very end. He knew that he'd be easily overpowered, but he was in this until the very end. With a look of immense determination, he prepared to make his last attack.

And then things got weird once again.

Micaiah sprinted at him, fists sparking with electricity. As she closed the gap, Noah noticed that the world around him began to slow to a crawl, just like before. Having experienced this already, Noah wasn't caught off guard by the sudden change. Instead, he took advantage of it, hitting Micaiah with as much strength as he could muster. His left arm was his weaker one, but he hoped he got in a good hit.

As time resumed its normal pace, Micaiah suddenly found herself on the ground, and her left side burning with pain. She looked up to find Noah standing over her, a serious look on his face. Micaiah growled in anger and launched herself up, letting lose a blast of electricity as she did so. The surge forced Noah to step back in a hurry, giving Micaiah a clear opening. She swung at him hard, dealing a heavy blow to his jaw. Noah was sent flying into a building, painfully certain that the impact had broken several of his bones. Somewhere off to his far left, Layla screamed in terror. Or perhaps rage. He wasn't sure which. What he was sure of was that Layla was subsequently subdued, as he watched Micaiah start to shock her relentlessly, keeping the teen pinned on the spot and screeching in pain.

"Stop!" Noah roared, anger spiking at seeing his girlfriend treated like that. "Leave her alone!"

"Sorry, I'm not particularly inclined to listen to that request," Micaiah stated, annoyance clear in her voice. "I wanted this to be simple and painless, but you had to be idiotic about it. Really, I try not to let anger get the best of me, but I've little patience for dumbasses who don't know when to quit. So, I'm gonna give you an ultimatum."

Noah struggled to get up as he witnessed Micaiah up her voltage, causing Layla to drop to the ground and convulse, her screams growing louder. He couldn't let this go on. His body rebelled against him, however, and he found himself unable to force his limbs to listen to his commands. A brief moment passed where he wondered if he'd shattered his spine, but he shoved that thought away. Layla needed him right now, and he couldn't let her down. If only his damn legs would move!

"You promise to come with me with no more fuss, and your girlfriend gets to live. If you don't, I fry her. So simple, a child could understand," Micaiah said. "And don't take too long to answer, because I'm certain she can't take much more. The human body is a frail little thing."

Noah wanted to deny her what she wanted; to tell her to take her ultimatum and shove it. He could've done that had his life been the one being threatened. He would've denied her without hesistation had that been the case.

But it wasn't. It was Layla's life on the line, and he couldn't throw it away for his own desires. He couldn't do that to a stranger, let alone the girl he loved. He wasn't selfish enough to even entertain the notion that he might. As such, there was only one answer he could give, no matter his misgivings about what it might cause. "Okay, okay, just please stop! I'll come with you, no questions asked!"

Micaiah leveled her gaze at him, suspicious. "You promise? Because if you try anything funny, I will take her life, and then I'll take you by force. I assume you don't want that, right?"

"No, I don't. No tricks, I swear it on the Spirits!"

"Well, alright then. Glad you chose wisely," Micaiah said, finally releasing Layla from the electrical onslaught. "I gotta say, I feel real icky now. I'm usually not one to do that type of thing. Sometimes I let my anger get the better of me though."

Leaving Layla where she lay, Micaiah walked over to Noah, giving him a piteous look. "Gotta say, you look like crap. I guess we'll need to fix you up later. Or not. I don't know if you need to be in a certain condition. I suppose that means I have to carry you for now, but that's not a big deal."

As she reached down to grab him, a sudden and perplexing windstorm kicked up out of nowhere. Micaiah stood up ramrod straight, looking around carefully. While she did so, Noah noticed what looked to be a ring of large, pink flowers appear above him. The sight was so absurd that he nearly laughed out loud, but he held it in as the flowers showered him with a faint, but soothing light. It was a calming sort of light, imbuing him with a sense of contentment and peace. It also seemed like it was making the pain go away, restoring him back to full health.

It took a good several seconds before he realized that the pain had in fact gone away.

Noah was stunned, but pleasantly surprised when he saw the same flowers appear above Layla's prone form. Almost instantly, she was back on her feet. Noah quickly followed suit, unsure of how they'd been healed, but aware that all was not yet lost. Granted, he was still dealing with someone who's strength dwarfed his own, but a miracle had occurred once already. Perhaps it could happen again. That thought in mind, he bravely took up a battle stance yet again, preparing for Micaiah's probable attack.

The attack was nowhere to be found. Micaiah was too busy looking around frantically, her face awash in frustration. Though she showed no outward signs of fear, Noah could sense an underlying worry beneath the apparent frustration, but he didn't know what to make of it. He settled for watching Micaiah closely as her head whipped around repeatedly. After a few moments of this, her gaze finally came to rest above them, and a deep frown graced her features. "Well, if it isn't the witch bitch," she growled.

Noticing that Layla's gaze had turned upward too, Noah spun around and took a look at what had the two ladies' attention. He couldn't help a light gasp of surprise at seeing a girl that could be no older than him sitting on the roof of the building he had been leaning against just moments ago. She was an odd sight to be sure. Not because she was casually sitting on the roof, her legs dangling over the edge, but because she was dressed in a long, flowing robe and wide-brimmed witch's cap. She looked like a character out of a storybook. Noah had to wrack his brain just to figure out if he'd seen an image of her on some book cover before and was merely hallucinating her presence. Of course, as Micaiah and Layla clearly saw her too, that definitely wasn't the case.

"I cannot let you take this keybearer," the witch said in a dreamy voice.

"And I can't let you stop me," Micaiah snapped back, firing a bolt of electricity at the girl. It struck the spot where the girl had been perched, but the target had vanished. All three of them scanned the area, but the witch didn't reappear. What did pop up was a glowing circle beneath Layla, which quickly expanded and proved to be very much intangible, as she suddenly fell through it with a yelp. Noah started, but he quickly fell prey to another glowing hole that formed beneath him.

With one last, fleeting look at a shocked Micaiah, he plummeted into the abyss below, unsure of where he might end up.


	6. Chapter 5: The Witch's Request

**Chapter 5: The Witch's Request**

* * *

Noah sat on the soft grass, staring at the waterfall that sat before him with a waning level of interest. He was absentmindedly summoning and banishing the Keyblade, having figured out that he could manifest it at will. Layla stood beside him, passing the time by stretching and doing some light exercise. The two of them had been at the base of the waterfall for nearly thirty minutes, with no sign of either Micaiah, or the witch that had so graciously saved their lives. Noah was quite thankful for that, but he wasn't so ecstatic about being left in an unknown place with no way to get back, at least that he knew.

"Hey Layla, how long do you think we'll be stuck here?" he asked, more for something to say than out of real curiosity as to what she thought.

"No idea," she replied, switching over from stretching to performing lunges. "I really hope that girl didn't forget about us."

"Same here. I'm also wondering why she would just plop us in the middle of nowhere. That's pretty rude, even if she saved our asses."

"I say we go take a look around. I mean, we can't be that far from home. Maybe we're on some uncharted island."

Noah shook his head, dismissing the possibility. "I highly doubt we're just on an island no one knows about. In case you hadn't noticed, there's a pretty huge amount of land stretching out behind us."

"Means nothing. It could just be a big island."

"It could be, but my gut says otherwise."

"Okay. Then where does your gut tell you we're at?"

Noah said nothing, unable to produce anything sensible. For all he knew, they were stranded in a part of the world they'd simply never been to, but that idea just wasn't sitting right with him.

"Okay, that's enough sitting around," Layla announced after another minute of silence. "We need to figure out where the hell we've been brought to, and we can't do that while lazing around here. Let's explore a bit."

"Is that wise? What if that witch girl comes looking for us and we're gone?" Noah asked. "She might be our only way back."

"And if she doesn't care, or doesn't know where she dropped us off at? She'd be no help, and then we'd be on our own anyway. I say we get going before we waste too much time here."

Noah opened his mouth to protest the idea again, but shut it almost immediately when he noticed that the two of them were no longer alone. He didn't see anyone other than Layla, but he could feel another presence nearby. Noah couldn't feel menace from the strange presence, so he resisted the reflex to summon his Keyblade, instead choosing to stare at the waterfall. Neither he nor Layla had actually checked behind it, a move he now realized was a mistake, which meant that neither were sure that there was no place to hide behind the falling water.

"Something wrong?" Layla asked, noticing Noah's sudden, intense stare. He said nothing in response, merely pointing at the waterfall. Layla gave him an odd look, but mimicked his actions anyway, wondering what they were looking for.

Several moments passed by quietly, before the waterfall unexpectedly parted and the witch from earlier emerged, looking at Noah with approval.

"Not bad," she said, floating lazily in the air just in front of the waterfall. "I didn't expect you to notice me there for a while. Or at all, given how your friend wanted to go exploring. Wouldn't recommend that, by the way. This world is full of nasty critters that would just adore making a meal out of you two."

"What do you mean by 'this world'?" Layla asked.

"You catch on quick," the witch said, pointing at Layla. "Two points for you! Anyway, you two aren't in the world you know so well. I sent you to an entirely different world. Granted, this isn't the safest place around, but it's not that bad."

"I'd call any place where I can be eaten by a roving beast a bad place," Noah said.

"Oh relax. I've put up a barrier around this area. Nothing hostile can get in unless it's powerful enough to break through, and no simple creature even comes close to qualifying."

"What about Micaiah?"

"She's strong, sure, but I doubt she has the sheer power to force her way through. Maybe in conjunction with a few more of the Seven Swords, but alone? Nah."

Noah mulled that over for a moment, seeing an immediate question to ask, but opted for another, just as important, question. "So, who exactly are you? I don't want to keep calling you 'the witch'."

"The name's Cassiopeia, sorceress extraordinaire. You may bow if you'd like."

Though he hesitated for a second, Noah politely bowed, prompting a laugh from Cassiopeia. "Hey, don't be so serious, Noah. I was only joking."

"I thought you might be, but you did save our skin, so I figured one wouldn't hurt."

"You're a good guy. Better hold onto Noah tightly, Miss. . .uh, sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Layla, and I'm well aware that he's a catch. I keep him close," Layla said, smirking.

"Well damn, it sounds like you fished me up out of the sea," Noah said.

"That's not that far off, to be honest. I was the one that found you washed up on the beach like a very unlucky sea creature."

"And that doesn't qualify as fishing. You might as well say you acquired me."

"No matter how you word it, I was the one that snagged you. A winner is me, as they say."

"Nobody says that," Noah told her, unable to keep from laughing. However, his laughter ended rather quickly as his brain finally alerted him to an oddity in Cassiopeia's earlier words. "Wait, hold on a minute. I just noticed something weird."

"What is it?" Layla asked.

"Cassiopeia, mind if I ask you a question?"

"If you're about to ask if you can call me Cass, the answer is no. I love my name, and demand its use in full. Otherwise, fire away."

"You didn't know Layla's name. That makes sense as you two have never met until today. I've never met you before today either, yet you already knew my name. How exactly is that possible?"

"I heard Miss Layla here call you by name," Cassiopeia replied, just a tad too quick for Noah's liking, as if she had been expecting the question.

"No you didn't. You weren't lurking long enough to hear my name," Noah countered.

"I've been hidden behind the waterfall since earlier. I heard her say your name once or twice."

"You're lying," Noah said, his eyes narrowing. He summoned the Keyblade, expecting an impending fight. "I would've sensed you."

"You sure about that? I don't think you're as attentive to things as you seem to think you are."

"He might not be, but you're still lying," Layla chimed in. "I haven't called him by name since you dropped us off here."

"And even if you have been watching us for this whole time, I used Layla's name once. If you should've known anyone's name, it'd be hers," Noah added.

Cassiopeia studied the two closely, looking as if she was deciding on what to say next, before sighing and floating down to ground level. She landed neatly on her feet a few paces in front of Noah, then put her hands on her hips. "Okay, okay, I give up. You got me. Good ear, Noah."

"Just who the hell are you?" Noah asked, Keyblade raised threateningly.

"I am exactly who I said I was. However, I have been holding back a bit of information, as it isn't particularly pertinent."

"The hell it isn't! You know me, but I don't know you. Combine that with the fact that I have no memories of my life from before washing up on the beach, and I'd say whatever you know is very pertinent!"

"And why do you feel that way? Are you not happy with life as it stands?" Cassiopeia asked. "Are you so burdened by the lack of knowledge about your past that it keeps you up at night?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Noah said, though he directed his line of sight elsewhere as he said it.

"As I thought. There is no need for you to know about your past. Not right now, at any rate."

"Who are you to decide that?" Layla asked angrily. "He deserves to know."

"It's not that I don't want him to know, but it just isn't the right time."

"What does that mean? Why isn't it the right time?" Noah asked.

Cassiopeia took a step closer and put a hand on Noah's shoulder. It was only then that he noticed that she was actually a couple of inches taller than he was. "Quite simply, I might influence things in a way I shouldn't. Whatever will happen has to happen by your choice alone, not because of what I might tell you."

"And what does that mean?"

"Let me put it like this," Cassiopeia said, letting go of Noah and moving to stand directly in front of the waterfall, "Have you had any strange dreams lately? Besides your nightmares, I mean."

"Not that I can think of," Noah replied, not sure where the random question was coming from. Then he remembered something. "Wait, that's not true. I had a weird dream earlier today. I couldn't even tell if it had been a dream, as it felt so real."

"What was the dream like?"

"There were these doors. Two at first, then a third appeared. I had this urge to walk through each one, but I managed to stave it off. I woke up after that."

"Was this during our little expedition earlier?" Layla asked.

"Yeah. I didn't bother saying anything because it didn't seem important," Noah replied.

"But it was," Cassiopeia said. "It was very important. There's going to come a time when you will choose to enter one of those doors, and I'd wager that the decision will be made fairly soon."

"And what will happen then?"

"That depends on the door you pick."

"And how do I know which one is the right one?"

"They are all the right door, in a manner of speaking. When the time comes, your heart will guide you. Best not to worry about it until then."

Noah wanted to argue that. The whole thing felt like something that he should absolutely worry about right then and there, though he couldn't fathom why. It was odd, to say the least.

"We've spoken enough on that business," Cassiopeia stated, rising a few feet off the ground and lazily floating around Noah. "I actually have something I'd like you to do for me. Consider it a formal request."

"And what would you have me do?"

"I don't know if Micaiah mentioned it, but she's only one of a group of individuals with abilities of surprising power."

Noah grimaced as he thought about Micaiah again, and how hopeless his and Layla's fight with her had been. "I remember her saying something about being a third sword, or something like that. You mentioned something number related too, come to think of it."

"To be specific, she's the Third Sword of the Shade," Cassiopeia clarified. "There are a total of seven of the bastards. Some are more annoying than others."

"How strong are these guys?" Layla asked. "As strong as Micaiah was?"

"They're numbered in accordance with their strength in the organization. As the Third Sword, Micaiah is the third strongest of the group. Only two others outpace her, while everyone else is weaker."

"Okay, that makes sense," Noah said, nodding. "So, what do these guys have to do with your request?"

"I want you to eliminate them. Nothing complicated."

Noah just stared at her in astonishment. He figured she had to be joking. "I'm sure you noticed, but Micaiah was pretty much a brick wall for me. What you're asking is anything but a simple request."

"Well, I won't force you to do anything you don't wish to do, but I do hope you'll consider it. After all, wouldn't you prefer to go on the attack instead of waiting for them to come for you again?"

"At any rate, this has gone on for far too long," Cassiopeia continued, cutting off any potential response to her question. "You two need to get back home. We'll continue this conversation at a later date."

No started to object, wanting to converse a bit longer, but the circular portal that opened beneath his feet left him no choice in the matter. He fell through the hole, a multitude of questions still swirling about in his head, and instantly found himself landing on a beach. He recognized it as the beach on East Harmony Island that he had washed up on several years back. As Layla landed a few feet away from him, Noah gazed out at the sea and sighed heavily.

Life, it seemed, was growing far more complicated than he could've ever expected.

 ** _~KH ~_**

The next two days passed by in a typical fashion, with life on the Harmony Islands returning to normal after Micaiah's unexpected appearance at the Starry Night Tournament. The tournament heads attempted to set up a rematch between Noah and Layla, but neither was particularly interested in giving it another go, primarily because they were mentally distracted by the whole encounter with Cassiopeia. As a result of this, the tournament was pronounced finished, and the final outcome declared a tie. Quite a few islanders were unhappy with this outcome, but the two teens were adamant about their decision, right up until Layla's father expressed interest in seeing her fight again. It was such an unexpected thing that Layla couldn't help but convince Noah to enter the arena again.

Thankfully for Noah, the match was scheduled for early next week, giving him plenty of time to focus on the pressing issue he had: Cassiopeia's request. As he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, it was all he could think about. He still couldn't understand why she had even bothered asking him to do such an absurd thing when he had clearly been outmatched by his opponent. Trying to actively take on a group as strong as, or even stronger, than Micaiah was tantamount to suicide. He was not, in any way, shape, or form, inclined to such a thing.

And yet, deep down, something about the prospect excited him. Since returning home, there had been moments of fleeting anticipation for the challenge. He had no idea where such feelings were coming from, and it unnerved him more than a little bit.

After a solid hour of doing little else, Noah finally decided to get up and do something other than think. He was under no obligation to honor Cassiopeia's crazy request in the least, and worrying about it was going to drive him up the wall. Sure, he knew that there was a chance that Micaiah or one of her cohorts might come looking for him, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he had a life to live. And that meant actually getting out of the house. To that end, he quickly threw on a pair of brown cargo shorts and a white tee shirt before slipping on his shoes and heading outside. He didn't think long on where he was going to go, immediately deciding to pay a visit to his favorite eatery on the islands. Breakfast was calling to him.

Though there were a variety of restaurants that could be found on the Harmony Islands, Café Aurum was one of the few that Noah regularly frequented. Despite the delicious food the place served, it didn't have a large array of customers that populated the premises, likely due to its placement in a seldom trod corner of East Harmony Island. This suited Noah just fine, as he preferred the quiet atmosphere the place had. He wouldn't describe himself as a recluse by any means, but there were days that he wanted to be by himself. The café gave him just the retreat needed during those days.

As he walked into the small restaurant, he was quickly greeted by the waitress, who had been sitting at a table and reading a book. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer! Good to see you, Noah."

"Same here, Millie. Slow day today, I see," Noah said, whipping out his usual greeting.

"You should know the drill by now. It'll never be a busy day in here," Millie responded, smiling.

"Is it wrong that I hope you're right?"

"Pretty sure Boss might not agree with you, but I'm all for it as long as I can still get paid."

"And it's a miracle that we make enough munny for me you to have a paycheck of any sort," came the voice of an older man. "Hey there, Noah. The usual for you, I assume?"

"Good morning, Harlan," Noah said airily. "And no, I think I'll go for something else today. How about one of those breakfast burritos you're always going on about?"

"You're actually deciding against your standard eggs and toast? Wow, is the world ending?"

"Don't be a jerk," Noah said in mock anger. "I figured I'd break out of the mold, you know? Eating the same thing gets boring after a while."

"And you gotta make sure that you're nice and interesting for your girlfriend, right?" Millie asked with a giggle.

"Oh no. Don't you start."

"What? I'm just letting you know that I know how it is. Gotta keep up the excitement in a relationship, right?"

"Millie's got a point," Harlan called from the kitchen.

"You make it sound as if I'm married. It's barely been a year that Layla and I have been dating."

"By the way, when are you gonna bring her around to meet me? I wanna have a nice girl to girl chat with her."

"Try never. You and Harlan would do nothing but tease me, and that will not happen in front of Layla as long as I live and breathe."

"Don't be so mean. What, you don't want me to tell her how we almost dated first?"

Noah couldn't help but blush slightly at her words, remembering his interactions with Millie back when he'd first washed up on the island. Layla had been the one to take care of him, but it took a while before she showed signs of being attracted to him. Millie, on the other hand, had been flirty from the word go, and given that Noah was in an unknown place, with no memory of his past, he latched on to her apparent interest in him fairly quickly. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, depending on how one looked at it, things didn't work out as initially hoped.

"We weren't anywhere near close to 'almost dated', unless I somehow dreamed up the memory of me asking you out, and you telling me that you already had a boyfriend," Noah said.

"And what a screw up that relationship ended up being," Millie said, frowning. "Had I known he was going to cheat on me, I'd have gone out with you when I had the chance. Of course, as per the rules of life, the moment I became available, you were off the market."

"Life is a pain in the ass sometimes, isn't it?"

"Often painfully so, yeah."

"Well, life may bite you in the rear, but this burrito won't," Harlan said, bringing over Noah's food.

"That's great, 'cause if it did, we'd have a huge problem on our hands," Noah said. "Could you imagine the terror a burrito that bites back would induce?"

"Mass panic, no doubt," Millie said, laughing.

"Speaking of panic, what the hell happened back at the tournament finals? I missed it myself, but my neighbor was telling me some monsters interrupted the whole thing." Harlan said.

Noah hesitated before giving an answer. The appearance of the Shade sent everyone besides him and Layla scrambling from the scene, so no one knew much of anything. Thinking about it, he preferred it that way. That way there would be no probing questions about him or the Keyblade. Due to his unknown past, such an oddity might generate uncomfortable feelings.

He also realized that Layla hadn't offered up any questions since their unexpected trip. She had taken the whole thing in stride, but he knew that her curiosity had to be piqued. He wondered when she'd finally opt to ask him a few questions, though he wouldn't have any concrete answers for her anyway. He knew next to nothing about what was going on.

After being silent long enough to risk looking suspicious, Noah finally gave Harlan an answer. "I have no idea what exactly happened. Layla and I were about to really get our fight going, then some weird girl came out of nowhere, along with some kind of. . .creatures. People freaked at that point, and what happened next is a bit of a blur. At least it seems that no one was hurt."

"The Spirits were with the audience that day, most definitely."

"Wait, you were facing off against your girlfriend in the finals?" Millie exclaimed. "Oooh, when's the rematch taking place? I can meet her then!"

Noah sighed loudly, wishing he'd kept his big mouth shut.

 ** _~KH ~_**

After finishing breakfast and trying, but likely failing, to convince Millie to not embarrass him in front of Layla when they inevitably met, Noah decided to take a walk. He contemplated tracking down Klein or Zidane to hang out with them, but he was feeling strangely solitary, and wanted to spend a few moments alone. So he made sure to walk in a direction that led away from civilization.

That wasn't the easiest thing to do on East Harmony Island. The place was mostly residential, meaning that houses and apartments dominated the island, with the occasional recreational area dotted around. However, there was still a little bit of mostly untamed wilderness on the island's eastern side where folk seldom tread, giving Noah a good option for a destination.

The journey was uneventful, and Noah soon found himself passing by the entrance to the Holcomb Rose Garden. The place wasn't somewhere that few people frequented, but none of friends were likely to be visiting, and no one else would probably bother him, so it was a good enough place to hang out at. Besides, Noah enjoyed the atmosphere the garden had, despite Zidane once making fun of him for going there alone.

As it turned out, there were few people around, which was only a little surprising. It was still morning time, and there wasn't often many people clamoring to hit up the rose garden this early. This suited Noah just fine, not that he would've let a few people visiting early keep him from enjoying the flowers.

As Noah parked himself on a bench within a small gazebo, he let his mind wander where it may. He was content to just enjoy the peaceful atmosphere the garden had, uncaring of anything particularly important. This moment of mental calm only lasted for a scant few minutes, as his mind slowly drifted back onto Cassiopeia's request. He tried to ignore the creeping thoughts, but his mind seemed to focus on them, as if to spite him. He couldn't fathom why a part of him was so fixated on the idea of hunting down the so-called "Seven Swords of the Shade", but he couldn't rightly deny that it existed. That left him with a single, burning question: what would he do about it?

"Whatcha thinking about?" a familiar voice asked out of nowhere.

Doing his best to keep a neutral face, despite his undeniable flinch at her voice, Noah slowly turned around to regard the young woman that had materialized out of thin air. "Hey, Cassiopeia. Nice to see you. I'm doing well, thanks for asking."

"There's no need for that false, sugary tone," Cassiopeia said, floating in midair as if she didn't care who might see. "Such an inquiry would be pointless when I know exactly how you're doing."

"And just how would you know that?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you, duh."

"You've been stalking me?" Noah asked, eyes going wide.

"That's such an ugly word. I prefer to say I've been. . .watching over you," Cassiopeia replied.

"That is still insanely creepy. What do you want anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? I came to see if you had an answer for me."

Noah shook his head. "Well, I don't. You've only wasted your time."

"It's not a waste of time if we get a chance to talk. We are friends, after all."

"Are we? Because I don't know you. I only met you two days ago, and that's usually not a long enough time to call someone a friend."

"And yet we are. Good friends, at that."

"Then why not tell me all about our friendship, huh? Help me to remember you. And while you're at it, could you stop doing that? Last thing I need is to have to explain to someone how you float like that."

Cassiopeia brought her feet to the floor, giving him an annoyed look. "There is nobody here, and nobody on their way here. You ought to relax a bit."

"Do I wanna know how you could possibly know that?"

"I'm psychic."

Compared to all of the recent strangeness in his life, the idea that Cassiopeia could be psychic was rather tame. Well aware of this, Noah nevertheless shot her an incredulous look. However much his capacity for weirdness had been, that limit had been abruptly reached. He was, unquestionably, at his wit's end.

"Are you gonna fill me in on the things I don't know about my past?" he asked, his voice low and carrying a subtle hint of anger.

"You already know my answer to that," she replied. "Right now, I can't take such a risk."

"Then do me a favor, and get lost! You've nothing I want, and you're only getting on my nerves!"

"Try to keep your rage in check, would you? I've no intention of hanging around. I just needed to give you this, in case you need it."

She grabbed his hand and placed a box within it. He looked down at it and stared. It felt fairly weighty in his hand, though he barely paid it any mind. He was too concerned with the sudden burst of anger he'd felt. That was the first time he'd ever snapped so viciously at anyone. Feeling a wave of regret, he looked up to try and apologize, but found himself alone. Cassiopeia had disappeared without a trace.

* * *

 **A/N:** The line breaks between paragraphs kinda suck, so trying something different this time.


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